Holiday Activities
by jessinamaca
Summary: It's been two years since their last encounter and Draco's hoping the holiday atmosphere will help him win the love of his life back. Rated for language and smut.
1. Parties and Shopping

**I've been wanting to write a Christmas story for years and finally this plot came to me. It won't be a long story, just a few chapters, and it will be posted after New Years' but oh well. I hope you enjoy!**

_Fuck._

That was the one word that kept repeating in Draco's mind as he stood by himself, holding a very watered down spiked punch in one hand, the other shoved deeply into his pocket, trying to hide his discomfort. He watched as people mingled and talked to everyone- everyone except him he supposed. Occasionally, he would catch someone looking at him, either with disgust or surprise written on their face. He knew it had been a bad idea to come to the annual Order Christmas party, but he was a Malfoy goddamnit and Malfoys did not run from their problems.

Unfortunately he had just spotted his.

She looked beautiful, but that wasn't his first observation. Her arm was wrapped around Weasley's waist while his was slung over her shoulder. She gripped his side, smiling up at him happily. She seemed to glow in the light of the room and Draco's heart clenched in reaction. He downed his punch and tried to look anywhere else, but his eyes were constantly drawn to her.

As if she could sense his gaze, she glanced over and their eyes met, locking for longer than appropriate. It might have just been his wishful imagination, but she seemed to look both upset and happy to see him. She turned back to the conversation Weasley was having, but Draco could tell she wasn't as into it as she was before. He decisively stopped looking and went to get another cup of punch, even if it killed him.

"Oh. Hello there." A soft voice floated over to him from across the punch table. He looked up, bracing himself.

"Hello, Luna. How are you?" She smiled in her usual way and drifted over to his side. Draco wondered if she ever did anything heavily. "Happy Christmas." Instead of responding, she looked at him curiously for a minute. Under her excruciating gaze, Draco could feel his collar choking him and sweat dripping down his back. There was something threatening about this completely nonviolent girl, as if one look of hers could give her complete insight into your soul. Finally, she spoke.

"You should work on hiding your emotions." Now it was his turn to stare for a bit.

"Excuse me?"

"I noticed when you first started to stare at Hermione ten minutes ago. And every thought you had flitted across your face, almost as if you were dreaming." Draco wondered for a second if he might be. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." For a minute, Draco could only look at her.

"Luna, I don't think anyone has ever accused me of being an open book before."

"It's the wranklepursts. They make me more observant." And with that she glided away to talk to someone else. Draco stared after her in amusement.

"Draco. I'm surprised you came." She had snuck up on him while he wasn't looking. He tried not to tense his shoulders as he turned around and plastered a fake smile on his face. Up close, she was just as beautiful as ever and it was difficult for him to catch his breath to speak. She simply sparkled.

"I thought I might venture out of my cave for this one event. I heard that it was expected to be a grand spectacle." She smiled, unconvinced. The candles that were floating around them sent shadows dancing across her face and illuminated her unease. Draco stared, mesmerized.

"I'm actually glad you came." He raised an eyebrow. "I've been meaning to talk to you. In private if we could."

A panic gripped him. "Well, actually, I'm quite busy and don't know when I'll be able to get out again." He didn't know when they had become so formal with each other. He hated it. She shook her head and smirked. Draco couldn't decide whether to be worried or turned on.

"Perfect. So we'll meet on the balcony in fifteen minutes?" She always had an annoying knack for completely shocking him. "I'll see you then." With that, she walked away before Ron could notice that she had left in the first place. She slid back into his arms, not even glancing back in Draco's direction.

_Fuck._

Twenty minutes later, Draco stepped out onto the balcony that extended from the ballroom. He saw Hermione, her hands gripping the railing, staring off into the distance. Before he let himself think about how simply beautiful she was, Draco quickly walked up to her. He could practically hear her mentally preparing herself, running over whatever speech she was about to give him. She looked about as frazzled as he felt. When she noticed him, she smiled weakly.

"Draco."

"Hermione." She had asked to talk to him, not the other way around. He waited patiently for her to being. Another awkward pause ensued.

"I…Well…Oh! This is so stupid!" He couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. He had missed her. "Stop smiling at me like that!"

"Like what?" His grin was infectious though she tried to fight it. He resisted the urge to kiss the lips that framed her gorgeous smile. Draco stepped in closer, causing her to scoot back against the balcony.

"Like you know exactly who I am and precisely what I'm going to say." Merlin, he felt like he knew every single part of her and still nothing about her. And he hoped to spend the rest of his life learning and exploring, if he played his cards right. She struggled with the words, refusing to look at him, but eventually blurted out, "I want to apologize."

Well. That was not what he was expecting.

"I never should have let what happened…happen. It was stupid and irresponsible. We were just lonely and-."

"Don't." Her head snapped up and their eyes met. "I will not have you write off what happened between as a mistake!"

"But that's what it was!"

Anger pulsated through him at an alarming speed. She looked so worried, so desperate to forget. He tried to regain control and stepped closer in. She had nowhere to go. "I don't see it that way, not for a second. And I know you don't either," he touched her arms gently. "Not deep down." She shook her head in protest. Before he could explode, he turned and started to walk away; knowing that yelling at her now would not help him later.

"Promise me you won't tell Ron," she whispered. He stopped in his tracks. He turned around, so many thoughts and arguments running though his head, biting to get out. For a long time he simply stared at her, battling with himself over what to say. Finally, he decided to give it up for the moment.

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about our dirty little secret." He made sure the words came out just as harshly as he meant them before quickly walking away to avoid hearing anything else she had to say. But as he slipped through the door back into the party, he could hear her sigh of relief. He closed the door violently and nearly raced to the front to pick up his jacket.

"Be careful, Malfoy." He had to pause. He wasn't a monster. Trying to remain calm and not unleash his anger out on this strange woman, he took a deep breath and spoke.

"Luna, I really don't have time for this."

"Try not to relinquish hope too soon." Again, Draco could only stare after her for what he figured to be the hundredth time that night while she drifted back into the throng of people talking and laughing and having an all-around merry time. Draco looked into the crowd disgusted before apparating back to the manor. He poured himself a drink and collapsed onto the couch, downing the alcohol while trying to think about everything, anything, he disliked about Hermione Granger.

He came up with two things. One: she had an innate ability to piss him off and arouse him all at the same time. And two: she was making it rather hard for him to win her back.

He was so screwed.

_Fuck._

As much as Hermione hated to admit it, her encounter with Draco had left her shaken. Even a couple days after the party Ron was still asking if she was feeling okay. It was almost as if she were walking in a dreamlike state, floating from one place to another, not really accomplishing anything. She couldn't wrap her brain around how distraught he had looked when she had said that their…encounter…had been a mistake.

It didn't make any sense. She had given him the easy way out! Why didn't he take her excuse and run with it? Wasn't this what he wanted? He surely couldn't want her, so what was he trying to get? Was he trying to ruin things between her and Ron? Hermione thought back to the old Draco and could see him doing something like that. But not the post-War Draco. Besides, he said he wouldn't tell and Malfoys kept their word; that was something she had learned the hard way.

As she replayed the scene over and over again in her head, she could only come to one logical solution, and that was illogical in every way. There was no way on this planet that Draco Malfoy actually fancied her. She racked her brain for another solution, but none came. Slowly, she drifted off the sleep on the couch, dreaming of strong arms and soft kisses.

Hermione woke with a start, freezing and with a kink in her neck. Her mind quickly skimmed over what she had to do that day and she darted off the couch in a panic, dashing upstairs to get ready. Twenty minutes later she was in Diagon Alley, trying to do some last minute shopping along with the rest of the Wizarding world. The streets were so crowded she had a hard time moving and the lines at the different shops took three times as long as they should have. She had just walked out of the second store when she faintly heard someone calling her name.

"Hermione!" Now that he was closer she could identify his voice.

_Oh fuck._

Seeing her across the busy street was like a godsend. All night he had thought of things he could do to slowly work his way back into her life. The party had been a temporary setback but he wasn't going to give up that easily. He'd waited two years for this girl, he certainly wasn't going to waste any more time.

"Hey! Fancy meeting you here." He smiled so brightly Hermione worried his cheeks might start hurting. She tried to fight the overwhelming feeling of joy that sprang up when she saw him, plastering a slight frown on her face, hoping he would get the hint. "Doing some last minute shopping? Me too. May I escort you?" Hermione had a sneaking suspicion he got the hint, but wasn't going to take it.

"Sure. But I don't have too much left so it shouldn't take long."

"Have you seen these lines? Buying a pair of socks would take a long time." She rolled her eyes and bit back a smile, finally taking the arm he had offered earlier. They began to walk towards the next store. "So what's next? A necklace for your mom? Cigars for your father? Dog treats for Weasley?"

"_Ron_ and I decided not to exchange gifts this year. We're trying to save up for the wedding." She shouldn't have said that. God, she should not have said that. A million things began to race through her mind as she tried to seem nonchalant about the whole thing. But the fact of the matter was it wasn't even true. Sitting at the bottom of her closet was a Chudley Cannons poster and a nice watch that had his name engraved on it. Hermione wanted to kick herself for even saying such a lie. But her mind didn't work properly around him and he smelled so nice that she was no longer in control of what she was saying.

Draco had to stop for a second but quickly regained his senses and picked back up the pace. "Wedding?" He tried to sound disinterested but in actuality his palms were sweating and he was sure his voice had just cracked. There seemed to be a rock in his stomach making it a little difficult to breathe. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Nothing is official yet, but it has been talked about." Once. Right after the war. When people were doing crazy things and everyone seemed to be getting married. The subject hadn't really come up again since they had decided to wait but at least she wasn't telling Draco a total lie this time. A tiny bit of pleasure shot through her when she noticed his shock and extreme discomfort.

"Well, then let me be the first one to offer my condolences."

"Thank-. Excuse me?"

"Come on Hermione. You and I both know that the two of you aren't suited for each other."

"I know no such thing." She pulled away from his arm and stared at him defensively. "Ron and I are wonderful together." She tried desperately to convince herself as well as Draco.

He shook his head. "Maybe you were, back at school, when he needed you to do his homework and you needed him to need you. But the war changed you, Hermione. It made you stronger, it made you bolder. You are no longer the mousy bookworm who had more fun in the library than being out with your friends. The new Hermione is beautiful and brilliant and doesn't settle."

She tried to ignore the fact that he had called her beautiful, but it was a very tough word to get over. "I am not settling with Ron! I love him." Why did that suddenly feel like a lie, too?

"The new you deserves someone who is just as passionate and exciting as you are." It was not every day that a man said two breathtaking things to her in one day. But she still raised her chin defiantly.

"What, and the old me didn't deserve that?" Tears of anger and frustration welled up in her eyes. It was hard to hear him say all these wonderful things to her. He smiled sadly at her and brushed away a tear that had escaped.

"The old you didn't think she deserved that. The new you knows better than that." And with that, he walked away, disappearing into the masses before she could even call him back. She stared after him for a while then brushed furiously at the other tears trying to flee. Hermione took a deep breath and charged into the next store on a mission.

As Draco pushed through the crowd, he ignored a voice that continued to call after him until it got closer and closer and he had to turn around. He saw a flash of red hair and tried not to groan. "Hello Mrs. Potter. Can I help you?"

By the time she had reached him, Ginny Potter was panting from the strain of pregnancy. Five long months had taken its toll. She refused to let it stop her, though, and when she saw the young Malfoy, she knew she had to reach him. The look on Hermione's face the night before after Draco had left had been one of pure torture. Ron may have been her brother, but Hermione might as well have been her sister and Ginny just wanted the people she loved to be happy. If Draco Malfoy was the key to that happiness, Ginny sure as hell was going to make sure things were unlocked.

"I just wanted to invite you to the Burrow tonight." It was worth the exertion just for the look on his face. "My family's baking cookies and having a nice dinner with some friends. It's supposed to snow and we always have a snowball fight after the first snowfall. We would love to have you." She had left him speechless. It gave her s tiny pleasure. "I have to run, but I hope to see you tonight." She was gone before he could speak.

Hermione would be there. So would Ron. And the rest of those godforsaken Weasleys. And Hermione.

Of course he was going.


	2. Cookies and Snowballs

He brought a bottle of wine.

You were supposed to bring a gift if you were invited to someone's house, right? Draco tried to think back to the etiquette lessons his mother had tried to force him through. As she droned on about table manners, Draco daydreamed about quidditch a decision he now regretted because he had no clue what was appropriate to bring. The wine seemed to be the best choice. It was that or some kind of dessert.

He stood outside the door, sweating onto the bottle while trying to work up the courage to knock. He had never felt more unwelcome in his life and he hadn't even walked through the door. Back and forth in his head he battled with himself, weighing the pros and cons of actually attending the dinner. Now that he was on their doorstep, Draco realized just how awful this night could turn out. He would be up against every single person in there: he was after all trying to steal Ron' girlfriend. After five minutes of debating, he raised his hand to knock.

The door swung open and Ginny welcomed him in with a smile and hug. As he tried to wrap his arms around her, she whispered, "There was a bet going around on whether or not you would show. Thank you so much for coming. I just won fifty pounds." Draco eased slightly at her warm reception but things were not looking good for him if there were bets on his showing. He stepped into the house and was immediately filled with warmth and the smell of sugar cookies. It was such a sharp contrast from the Manor.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Well. That felt a little more like being home.

Ron had appeared with a look of shock and anger etched into his face. Hermione followed, looking just as shocked as Ron, and possibly just as angry. Draco then realized the bet was rather exclusive. He tried to look apologetic but he was mostly overjoyed at pulling one over on Ron. There was an awkward silence before Mrs. Weasley barged into the entryway, jostling everyone into motion.

"Draco Malfoy! Welcome! Is that for us?" She took the bottle of wine before he could answer. "We are so pleased you decided to come. All of us." She shot a glare to Ron as his ears turned pink in frustration. Draco smiled openly. "Please, come into the kitchen. We'll get you an apron and you can get started kneading the dough." She turned around and walked into the kitchen, apparently assuming Draco would just follow. He did, smiling warmly at Hermione as he passed. Ron continued to glare.

In the kitchen there was a bustle of activity. Milk and flour and sugar poured themselves into the bowl as Fleur stirred, looking lovely as ever. Harry rolled the dough out as George cut the cookies and sent them into the oven with a flick of his wand. There were a couple children whose names Draco had forgotten running around covered in flour. Various pots and pans littered the stove and the mix of smells was intoxicating. Draco breathed in deeply, trying to remember the last time he had been in a kitchen. Mrs. Weasley handed him an apron and placed him in the middle of the assembly line.

"Thank you so much for having me, Mrs. Weasley," he finally managed to get in. She smiled at him.

"You're quite welcome dear. You need some meat on those bones anyway. Do you even feed yourself in that big manor?" He was about to say that the house elves fixed him plenty of food, but stopped just before Hermione walked in. Luckily. "Hermione, dear! Come help Draco knead." Before she could listen to Hermione's feeble protests, she walked over to the stove to continue cooking dinner. As Hermione stepped hesitantly over to Draco, he gestured towards the dough and she began to help him. The pushed and pulled the dough, working in complete silence. Hermione tried desperately to avoid any eye contact. Draco tried to ease the tension.

"This is certainly not what I was expecting. It's actually quite nice in here; comforting. And whatever is cooking smells fantas-."

"Why are you here?" She still refused to look at him. He stopped kneading and waited until her eyes flicked to his.

"Ginny invited me." Hermione cursed softly under her breath. Draco shushed her, motioning to the children. She stuck out her tongue and he laughed. "How old are you?" She looked away, seemingly embarrassed. Draco opened his mouth to apologize, but instead Hermione quickly shoved a wad of dough in. His mouth hung open in shock as Hermione tried to fight the giggles. Wandlessly, he sent some flour into her hair. She gasped in absolute shock. Eggs quickly darted in his direction, but he ducked and they instead crashed into Harry. Suddenly, the kitchen descended into madness. Ingredients were flying everywhere, cookies were being smashed onto the ground, children were giggling uncontrollably, and many of the adults had rushed in to join the madness. Soon, everyone was covered in various items. Instantaneously, everything froze.

Mrs. Wesley, still completely clean, had simply flicked her wand without even turning away from the stove. Draco and Hermione looked at each other sheepishly but Mrs. Wesley just unfroze them and muttered to herself, "Every single year." For the first time since he had arrived, Hermione smiled brightly at Draco. He could feel its warmth to his toes.

God, he had it so bad.

Half an hour later everyone was clean and seated around the table. Hermione was directly across from him with Ron on her right. Catching her gaze, Draco winked. She blushed but grabbed Ron's hand in retaliation. Draco watched as Ron squeezed her hand and kissed her cheek. Mr. Weasley stood before Draco could do anything else. "I just wanted to make a toast before we all dig into this delicious food." Mrs. Wesley beamed with pleasure.

"As I look around this table and see all the people I love the most in this world, I feel so grateful that we can continue to share these moments together. So if you could please raise your glasses. To the food we're about to eat, the company that we're in, and the people that are watching over us. May we never forget that love is the only thing in the world worth fighting for." Draco and Hermione's gazes locked as glasses were clinked together and cheers were sounded. Even as the people around them began to eat, their eyes remained connected. Draco raised his glass slightly to Hermione and mouthed two words.

To love.

After they had finished eating, Hermione grabbed Ginny and hauled her into a bedroom. "What the hell were you thinking?" Ginny tried to look sorry but it was difficult for her to lie. "Why did you invite him?"

"Because I know you and I love you and I want you to be happy!"

"I am happy! Why does everybody keep assuming that I'm not?" Ginny just smiled knowingly. Hermione collapsed onto the bed, rubbing her temples as a headache began to settle in. "You shouldn't have invited him. He's just going to cause trouble."

"Everything has been fine so far."

"Yeah, except for Ron has barely spoken a word to anyone all night."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Ron can get over himself. Draco has been nothing but nice to everyone all evening. He must have complimented Mom a dozen times over her cooking so now she's obsessed with him. Fleur thinks he's the cutest thing she's even seen. He even managed to sit through an entire conversation with Dad about rubber ducks. The only people with problems are Ron and, apparently, you!"

"I don't have a problem with him." Ginny just smirked and raised her eyebrows. Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "Fine. But you don't understand. I have a good reason." Ginny crossed her arms, resting them on her protruding stomach. "It's a long story."

"If you don't tell me why, I'm going to ask him."

Panic gripped Hermione."No. God, no don't do that. Who knows who will overhear." She tried to find the words to explain, but nothing seemed to come. It was too complicated and too difficult for her to talk. Finally, she said the only thing she could think of. "I'll give you the abridged version. We slept together."

"I'm not surprised; we all knew it would happen one day." Well that certainly wasn't what she was expecting Ginny to say. "But if you think you're getting off that easy, you are so wrong. Everyone is cleaning up. Spill."

Hermione took a deep breath continued. "Do you remember when Draco and I hid out at the Manor, shortly after his parents had died, while most of you were on a raid? Well. I couldn't stand to be anywhere downstairs because of, well, you know. So, he took me to the library." Ginny snorted.

"He had you right there, didn't he?"

"Do you want me to tell the story or not? He lit the fires around the room and helped me get a couple books down. I read while he paced back and forth, going from window to window, trying to see anything. We were both so afraid. There was no news, no sign, nothing, and I could feel panic slowly closing in on me. I couldn't stand his pacing anymore so I made him sit down and we talked. I can't even remember what we talked about, just that it was so nice and normal to have a conversation that didn't revolve around the war.

"Then, completely out of nowhere, we were kissing."

"You do realize I'm pregnant right? I'm going to need details, lots of them."

Hermione laughed unexpectedly. "Okay you horndog. At first everything was sweet and gentle. Tentative: like he was trying not to hurt me. But I needed more. So things got more intense. Then it went further than either of us probably anticipated. No," she protested as Ginny whined. "That's all you're getting. It was passionate and wonderful and rarely a day goes by that I don't think about it.

"But in the morning, everything came crashing down and I had to get out of there. I slipped out and rushed back to headquarters. When Draco came looking for me, everyone was back and we had to talk strategy. I managed to ignore him for the next couple days and he finally got the hint and stopped trying."

"You're the reason he stopped coming to meetings." Everything made sense. Hermione nodded, biting back tears. "You know he's trying to win you back?" Hermione nodded again.

"Oh god. I'm such a coward."

"Damn straight you are. My advice? Buck up, and decide what you want. Then don't give up until you have it."

Ginny and Hermione emerged from the bedroom, both a little red eyed. Draco looked confused and started to go over but Harry just shook his head. "Women. They were probably just talking about baby stuff. I love Ginny, but she can't shut up about it." Draco walked over to them anyway.

"Hey. Are you okay?" He didn't mean to pry but he couldn't help but think that something was wrong. She looked happier than usual to see him and it sent a wave of hope through him.

"Yeah. I think. I'm going to be." She smiled dazzlingly. Before he could speak again, Victoire came rushing in, laughing gleefully.

"It's snowing!" She clapped her hands excitedly and rushed to go get her jacket on. Everyone bustled around in excitement, putting on hats and gloves and scarves, boasting of their snowball throwing skills, or just laughing. Draco tried to hang back to talk some more with Hermione, but she grabbed his hands and dragged him outside despite his protests.

The snow was coming down heavily and had already coated the ground in a thin layer. Draco couldn't help but be thrilled and join in the merriment. Before he could even comprehend what was going on, he was hit by two different snowballs on either side: one from Hermione and the other from Victoire. He decided to tackle Hermione later, chasing after the little girl as she screamed in delight. He picked her up and spun her around then plopped her in a snow drift. She giggled and climbed out, threatening to get him. He ran away, knowing she would be easily distracted, and focused in on his other target.

Hermione had tried not to watch Draco's interaction with Victoire, but it was difficult. Ron wasn't as good with her as Draco and he was her uncle. She was throwing snowballs half-heartedly when Ginny managed to smack her directly in the face. She tore her eyes away from Draco just long enough for him to sneak up behind her and grab her, shoving her softly behind a bush and jumping on top of her.

"That's not fair!" she protested. "You took advantage of me!"

"That wasn't anything." And without warning, he crashed his lips down onto hers.

If Hermione had been feeling the cold, it would have all disappeared in a second. Fire seemed to race through her veins as he kissed her over and over, attacking her mouth with fervor. Her arms snaked around his neck and her hands roamed through his hair as he grabbed her waist and tried to bring the two of them closer together. Hermione couldn't hear the shouts of frenzy, only the rushing in her ears. These kisses matched exactly to the passion and desire filled ones in the library so long ago. It was as if no time had passed at all. She felt as if she would soon be consumed in it all.

He managed to tear his mouth away and roll over. For a couple seconds they both tried to catch their breath.

"Why did we wait so long?" He asked. She remained speechless. In the distance they heard the others calling their names. Slowly, Hermione got up and ran back towards the group. Draco just smiled to himself and waited a minute before getting up as well. The game seemed to be winding down though a few last snowballs sailed through the air. One caught Draco on the back of his head and a searing pain shot through him. He fell to the ground with a shout and everyone rushed to him. He sat up and picked apart the snowball, uncovering the rocks. He glanced at Ron who was doing a bad job of looking innocent.

"I'm fine, everyone." He got up and dusted the snow off his pants. Slowly they started to go back in, but Draco felt another snowball hit his back. He waited until the last person was back inside before turning and marching up to Ron.

"Do you have a problem?"

"Just with the way you're looking at my girlfriend." Draco smiled. Jealousy. It meant that he was winning.

"If I were you, I'd be more worried about the looks your 'girlfriend' is giving me." He should have anticipated the punch but it caught him entirely by surprise. Because of that, he was knocked to the ground again. Ron smiled maliciously down on him as blood trickled down his face. Draco stood up, determined to walk away and forget about it but before he knew it, he was on the ground again. Ron leapt on him and began punching Draco furiously.

"Ron! Stop! Stop! What are you doing?" Hermione, wondering what was taking the boys so long, had come back outside to see Ron beating Draco as he lay on the ground, not moving to defend himself. She rushed towards them, trying to stop Ron. George, hearing the commotion, ran and yanked Ron off Draco. Hermione looked down to survey the damage and winced at the blood. She levitated him and brought him in to the house, requesting a room and some bandages. She didn't even look back to see how George was handling Ron. Once she had Draco settled in a guest room, she began to mop up the already drying blood and heal the cuts and bruises forming.

"What happened?" She asked. Draco winced as she pressed down on a tender spot.

"Ron accused me of looking at you. I said you were looking right back. Then he hit me."

"He did more than hit you. You were his own personal punching bag." He shrugged then winced again. "Why didn't you hit him back?"

"I figured- ah!" She fixed his broken nose. "Merlin that hurt. I figured you wouldn't like me killing your boyfriend." She finished healing his wounds and smiled.

"I would have hit him." She checked along his torso for any cracked ribs.

"I would've liked to see that." She smiled at him, leaning in. Just before their lips met, Ron's voice exploded in the house.

"I will not spend Christmas Eve with that ferret!"

"RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY. HE IS A GUEST IN OUR HOME AND I WILL NOT HAVE YOU TALK ABOUT HIM IN SUCH A WAY." Mrs. Wesley yelled. Draco and Hermione bit back their laughter. "HE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE YOU ANYWAY NOW THAT YOU'VE BEAT HIM UP. BUT WE HAVE ALREADY ACCEPTED. NOW GO TO YOUR ROOM." They heard Ron storm upstairs.

"I forgot to tell you. I'm hosting Christmas Eve dinner!"

She laughed. "When did this happen?"

"When you and Ginny were off being secretive. What were you guys talking about anyway?" She smiled suggestively.

"You."

"My favorite topic." Finally he managed to capture her lips with his.


	3. Dinners and Mistletoe

Draco's mother was technically hosting Christmas Eve dinner.

She did every year. It had been a big event in the Malfoy household and once the war was over she insisted it be brought back again. Narcissa spent weeks preparing for the two hour dinner, decorating and planning and organizing. At any time, any number of packages could arrive, ranging in size and shape. She had the house elves prepare the dinner that was to be served so she could make sure "the flavors went well together." She constantly asked Draco his opinion and decided before he could even open his mouth. After a couple of days, he gave up and locked himself inside his room.

Telling her that he had invited the entire Weasley clan was much easier than Draco had anticipated. Casually, he had asked if she would mind a few extra guests, trying to hold off till the last second to tell her that he had invited every single one of the gingers. When he gave her the full list of who was coming, her eyes glinted and she smiled secretively before saying that it sounded like a perfect idea and could he please go tell the house elves that they were expecting more that night.

He would never understand women.

Draco looked around the dining room a couple hours before the festivities would begin and smiled to himself. His mother had certainly outdone herself. Bows and ribbons lined the walls in a tangle of red and green and white. There were two Christmas trees decorated with ornaments that spun and sparkled on their own. Their best china was set out and mistletoe adorned every doorway. The house elves were even wearing festive rags. Hermione was going to give him an earful about that.

Thinking of her made Draco smile even broader and his mother looked up as if she could sense it. "Why do you look so happy?"

"I'm just excited for tonight, Mother." He walked over and placed a kiss on her cheek. "I'm going to go get ready." He began to walk up the grand staircase that was covered in fake snow. Enchanted snowmen built tore themselves down and he tried not to step on them.

"Be sure to look your best. I invited someone who is very eager to see you again." This made Draco stop short. He turned around slowly.

"Mother," he began in a warning tone. "What are you talking about?"

She smiled knowingly. "I may have run across Astoria while I was shopping the other day and extended an invitation." Groaning, Draco ran a hand through his hair. He loved his mother, but he was very tired of the 'I need grandkids' speech. Sensing that it was about to happen again he just smiled and started back up the stairs. "I figured out of all the girls you previously dated, she would piss Hermione Granger off the most." He stopped again before going back down to kiss her on the other cheek.

"I have the best mother in the world." Taking the stairs three at a time, he heard his mother shout, "And don't you forget it!"

Guests started to arrive as Draco finished getting ready. As he tidied up his room, Draco tried not to think that in a few short hours he could be tossing Hermione on his bed and having his way with her. Those thoughts had been the reason it had taken him longer to get ready than he anticipated. He looked one last time in the mirror, ran a hand through his hair and smiled at his reflection before leaving his room, hoping she was already there.

He knew Hermione was still unsure about her feelings. He knew she was still with the weasel. And he knew that she didn't want to hurt anyone. But Draco also knew that he loved her, and there was nothing that was going to stop him from getting her back.

He made his way down to the party and started the appropriate circulation, greeting the guests and asking personal questions. He caught his mother's eye and winked; she smiled happily. Narcissa had drilled into him proper party etiquette and it was the least he could do to make her happy. The guests droned on about their uninteresting lives as Draco casually glanced around the room to look for Hermione.

He didn't need to. The moment she entered the room, Draco could sense her. Goosebumps erupted on the back of his neck and her scent drifted over. When he finally set eyes on her, Weasley's arm was wrapped possessively around her shoulders.

Fucking perfect.

He walked up to the entire clan that had arrived and greeted everyone warmly. Ron scowled at him, but one harsh look from Mrs. Weasley wiped the look from his face. As everyone scattered to go talk to the other guests, Draco watched as Ron secured his arm around Hermione and led her around the room like a child. Trying not to look upset, Draco returned to his mingling. Ten minutes went by when Draco was suddenly dragged out of the room and into the nearest closet.

"Well. I didn't expect this." Before she could speak, he covered her mouth with his. She tried to protest but he didn't stop, just pressed kiss after kiss against her soft lips. Her hands acted on their own and twined into his hair while his snaked around her waist to pull her closer to him. She moaned softly as he bit her lip. Draco felt her hands scratch at his back and he moved his up to gently cup her breasts. This seemed to bring her back to reality.

She pushed him away almost violently and tried to regain control over her breathing. Draco looked at her questioningly and she put up a hand to silently ask for a moment. He grabbed it and kissed her palm gently, slowly kissed up her arm and settled into the crook of her neck, caressing the skin with his tongue. She sighed softly but again pushed him away.

"We have to talk." Draco frowned.

"That doesn't sound good." She took a deep breath and a ball of panic lodged its way into Draco's chest. "Hermione, what's wrong."

"I can't do this anymore." Draco raised an eyebrow. "I admit that over the past couple days I've started to feel," another deep breath, "things for you again, but I can't hurt Ron like that. He loves me and I care too much for him and his family."

"Hermione." Draco cupped one of her cheeks and she tried not to lean into his touch. "I'm pretty sure Ginny is on my side. And they all just want what's best for you." But he saw the determination in her eyes and knew it was useless.

"What's best for me is not to hurt the only family I have left." She walked out before he could say anything else. Draco slid slowly to the ground and put his head in his hands.

Narcissa saw her son exit the closet ten minutes after Hermione Granger had with a dismal look on his face. She noted that it seemed to match the look on Ms. Granger's face and could only assume that something had happened between the two of them. Narcissa had anticipated this. Hermione Granger was known for her loyalty and there was no way she was going to give in to Draco's charm if it meant hurting other people.

When Narcissa had run into Astoria Greengrass at Diagon Alley, it had felt like a godsend.

She had been chatting away with the girl, gossiping as usual, and when she mentioned Ron's name in passing, the girl had simply turned scarlet. It was then when Narcissa formed the plan. She told the poor girl of the party she was throwing, casually mentioned the Weasleys would be there, and of course Ron's girlfriend Hermione, and mentioned that Draco had expressed an interest in seeing her again. She could practically see Astoria's wheels turning in her not-so-bright little head. She gracefully accepted the invitation to the dinner and made sure Narcissa sent Draco her love.

It was so easy to manipulate the young.

She walked over to Draco and wrapped her arm around his. "Astoria has arrived and she cannot wait to see you." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. She wanted to hug him.

"I'm not sure that's going to help, mother."

"I think you would be surprised just how powerful jealousy can be."

Hermione tried not to think about her encounter with Draco. She tried not to think about the darts of fire that he sent through her body everyplace that they touched. She tried not to think about how her body seemed to mold perfectly with his. And she desperately tried not to think about the look on his face before she walked out.

Despite her trying, that was all she could think about.

Laughter burst around her and she joined in before anyone could notice she hadn't been paying attention. She knew the instant Draco came out of the closet and was thankful no one seemed to notice that they had been in it together. She should have come by earlier to tell him, but she was too much of a coward.

And part of her hadn't wanted to face the truth.

She looked up at Ron and tried to feel half of what she felt whenever she looked at Draco. All that came was a sense of deep affection. She knew everything about him, loved all of his bad habits, and couldn't imagine her life without him. Leaving him for Draco would ruin their relationship and she would never see him again. That's why she had to stay with him.

Even if a little voice inside her head insisted that losing Draco would be worse.

Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of Draco and emotion burst through her like flames. She looked involuntarily over to where he was standing and narrowed her eyes. Astoria. Draco's girlfriend right before they were together. She was tossing her hair and touching Draco's arm and Hermione could read the signals from across the room.

Astoria wanted him back.

Before Hermione had time to fully process that, dinner was announced. Everyone made their way into the dining room and Hermione watched as Draco pulled out the chair for Astoria and settled into the one next to hers. Ron plopped down into a chair at the opposite end of the table and Hermione reluctantly sat next to him. She could still see the pair, but only slightly. Course after course of delicious food was served to the guests but Hermione couldn't taste any of it. She watched as Astoria laughed gracefully and looked absolutely enthralled with whatever Draco was saying to her.

Hermione could feel the jealousy building in her chest.

The dinner passed by in a blur and soon everyone was getting up to leave. Most of the Weasleys had left and Ron was only staying to stuff his face with as much food as possible. A quick glance down the table confirmed that Draco and Astoria were still talking. She waited until Ron was finished and then dragged him to go thank Narcissa. As she passed the lovebirds, she heard Draco say, "Let me walk you to the door." Trying not to roll her eyes, Hermione continued towards Narcissa.

"Thank you so much for having all of us. The food was exquisite and your house is so beautiful." A memory flashed of another time she was in the Manor. She pushed it down.

"Thank you dear. Hold on. Draco!" He stopped where he was with Astoria. "I'm afraid you've just walked under the mistletoe with Ms. Greengrass. You know what that means." She sent a knowing look to Draco and Hermione felt a sudden urge to strangle her. Couples had been purposely walking under the mistletoe all night and others had been avoiding it like the plague. Why did she have to make such a big deal out of this one? Then Hermione realized why. Of course.

Astoria was exactly the right kind of girl for Draco.

The thought made Hermione sick to her stomach. It only got worse when she looked back and saw Astoria quickly glance her way before pulling Draco into sloppy kiss. Hermione turned away disgusted. "Thank you again. But we should be leaving." She again dragged Ron out of the room, not bothering to stop under the mistletoe.

Draco had to take a shower to get Astoria's smell off of him.

She had doused herself in perfume that made even being near her difficult. Every time he opened his mouth he almost choked. Not to mention the fact that Astoria was probably the most boring girl on the face of the planet. Draco could not remember why he had dated her in the first place. Merlin, it must have just been about her tits. He dragged his fingers through his wet hair and wrapped a towel around his waist.

He smelled her before he saw her.

Unlike Astoria, Hermione didn't wear perfume. But she had a scent that was earthy and gorgeous and so bloody _Hermione_ that Draco could recognize anywhere. He stopped short and tried not to smile as her eyes raked down his naked torso hungrily. She hadn't changed from the elegant dress she had worn to dinner and now that they were alone Draco could fully appreciate how it hugged her curves and seemed to bring out the gold flecks in her eyes. She looked like a goddess standing in the middle of his room. He wanted to grab her and never let her go, but he refused to act rashly. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and walked over to his closet.

She made an annoyed sound. "Are you even going to ask why I'm in your room in the middle of the night?" She seemed nervous but also infuriated. It was an interesting combination that seemed to turn her skin a rosy pink that slightly turned Draco on.

"I figured you would get around to it eventually." She made a frustrated sound that aroused Draco completely and when she crossed her arms over her chest, pushing her beautiful breasts up, he almost lost it.

She looked as if she had prepared a long speech but had forgotten it. After struggling for a moment, she blurted, "What's going on with you and Astoria?" Draco grinned to himself.

"I don't really see how that is any of your concern." He always knew exactly what buttons to push.

"It is when you go from nearly shagging me in a closet to shamelessly flirting with the school whore!"

"Well, I hardly think that's fair. You dragged me into the closet, I just acted instinctively. If Ron had dragged me in there, who knows what would have happened. And we're not in school anymore. Astoria is a grown woman who can do whatever and whomever she likes." Draco grabbed another towel to dry his hair. Hermione licked her lips subconsciously.

"Well she better not be doing you!" He looked over at her sharply.

"Really?" He walked over and stood so close to her they were almost touching. She seemed to stop breathing and Draco could see her pulse leap wildly at her throat. He pushed down the urge to bend down and caress the point with his tongue. "Because I believe you relinquished your right to control my sex life when you decided to stay with your pathetic excuse for a boyfriend!" He knew she wanted to say something to that, but she seemed at a loss for words. He grinned maliciously. "That's what I thought." He meant to turn away. But she grabbed him and slammed her mouth to his.

God, he loved this woman.

She was a little ball of energy, writhing in his arms. He let her kiss him wildly before slowly taking control of the situation. Their embrace was passionate and Draco molded his mouth to hers, refusing to relent. Tongues battled as hands roamed. He loved the feel of her silk dress as he slid his hands up and down her sensuously. Her hands were traveling up his chest and were suddenly around his neck, pulling him closer. He buried one hand in her glorious hair while the other worked its way into her dress and slid hotly over her breast. Hermione broke off with a gasp.

He took this opportunity to trail kisses down to her neck, sucking on the pulse point. He was rewarded with a throaty moan from Hermione. They slowly made their way over to the bed, Draco wasn't sure who was leading whom, and sank down into the middle of it. Draco grinned against her collarbone, remembering his fantasy of only a couple hours ago. Deliberately, Draco turned their embrace from wild to sensual. He gazed into her eyes as he slid one of her straps slowly down. He kissed down from her jawline and circled her breast, causing Hermione to wriggle in frustration. Finally, he clasped his mouth around her nipple and she cried out in delight.

As he swirled his tongue around her sensitive bud, Draco slowly unzipped her dress and brought it down, letting it rest around her hips. He moved to the other breast and Hermione clasped his head to her chest, sighing happily. He smiled and bit down slightly, eliciting a yelp from her. Trailing kisses back up her chest, he captured her mouth with his. They kissed for awhile, their mouths sliding hotly over one another, breaking only for a couple second of breath. Draco was so concentrated on her mouth that he barely noticed when her hand slid down to undo the towel around his waist.

He sure as hell noticed when her delicate hand wrapped itself around his member.

He said her name violently and she took advantage of his current state to flip him onto his back. She smiled seductively and kissed down his chest, getting closer and closer to where her hand was. All Draco could think was, what the hell had gotten into Hermione Granger?

This thought seemed to pull Draco slightly out of his state of arousal. And as much as he hated himself for what he was about to do, he had to know. "Hermione, wait." She looked up at him in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"I think it should be very obvious as to what I am doing." She slowly raked her nails down his thighs and Draco resisted the extremely strong urge just to flip her over and pound into her until they both found their release. He grabbed her arms and brought her up to sit next to him.

"What about Ron?" God, he hated himself so much. She looked as if she had just snapped out of a daze and realized what she had been doing.

"I'm so sorry." She covered her face with her hands. Draco ached to hold her, but instead wrapped the towel back around his waist.

"Is this because of Astoria?" She nodded and he pushed away from the bed. "This is bullshit." She started to protest, but he refused to let her make excuses. "You tell me that you can't be with me, but you refuse to let me be with anyone else? Do you want me to be miserable for the rest of my life? To pine after you like some lovesick fool."

"No I don't– "

"Goddamnit, Hermione! I love you." He watched as she paled and looked up at him, obviously shocked. Stupid girl. How could she not notice his feelings etched completely on his face. "I don't know how you could possibly be surprised by this. I have loved you since you first sat down next to me at an Order meeting when no one else would. I volunteered to stay behind with you during that mission just because I knew I could spend some more time with you! How could you not see how completely and totally enthralled I was with you? I still am!" Tears filled her eyes and Draco had to look away or else he would have caved. "You cannot continue to jerk me around like this. You have to make up your mind."

"I just need more time."

"You've had plenty of time!" Suddenly, he was on his knees in front of her, grasping both of her hands. "What you need is the courage to tell Ron that you don't love him like that and the strength to tell the rest of the world that you love me. But despite your Gryffindor bravery, you seem incapable of even admitting those things to yourself." She pulled her hands out of his and Draco's heart shattered. "I refuse to sit around and wait for you to finally make the right choice and spend the rest of your life with me." She was speechless. He stood up and moved to his closet, pulling on a t-shirt and a pair of boxers. She sat on the bed, her dress still around her waist, tears falling more rapidly now. He ached to wrap his arms around her, promise her the world. But he knew it would hurt too much.

"Please go." They were the hardest two words he had ever spoken. She looked up at him, hurt shinning in her eyes. She pulled her dress back up, brushed angrily at her tears, and started to walk to the door. She stopped in the threshold.

"No matter what happens, I want you to know that I feel the same way." And then she was gone.


End file.
